Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has strongly criticized the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for banning Eedris Abdulkareem’s latest protest song, “Tell Your Papa.” The track, which critiques President Bola Tinubu's administration, was deemed "Not To Be Broadcast" by the NBC, citing its "objectionable nature" under Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code .​

In a statement laced with satire, Soyinka mocked the government's censorship, sarcastically suggesting that not only should Abdulkareem be banned, but also the cartoonist Ebun Aleshinloye, who responded to the ban with a critical cartoon. Soyinka emphasized that suppressing critical voices is detrimental to Nigeria's democratic development, stating, "We have been through this before, over and over again... It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizure of the fundamental right of free expression"

The song “Tell Your Papa” was released in response to Seyi Tinubu's claim that his father, President Bola Tinubu, is Nigeria’s greatest leader. In the song, Abdulkareem criticizes Seyi Tinubu for being out of touch with Nigerians’ struggles, highlighting issues like economic hardship, insecurity, and kidnapping that ordinary Nigerians are grappling with .​

Soyinka's condemnation adds to the growing backlash against the NBC's decision, with organizations like Amnesty International and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) also calling for the ban's reversal, citing violations of freedom of expression and Nigeria's international obligations .​